Vote-recording machine.



W. C. WATSON.

VOTE RECORDING MACHINE. 'APPLICATION FILED mush-1911 Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I m mwhk QNNNNP x.

W. C. WATSON.

VOTE RECORDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31. 1917.

Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W C. Wa'fgon A H'orncy.

UNITE PATENT @FFIQ WILLIAM CLEMENT WATSON, 0'33 PONSONBY, AUCKLAND, NE-"W ZEALAND.

VOTE-RECORDENG MAEHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I, VILLIAM CLEMENT WVA'rsoN, a citizen of the Dominion of New Zealand, residing at 10 Seymour street, Pen sonby, Auckland, in the Provincial District of Auckland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vote Recording Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus devised for recording votes and provides machine, whereby a predetermined numbe' only of votes can be cast for any single candidate, or a predetermined number only out of a total number of candidates can be voted for, or a predetermined number only of issues out of a total number of issues can be voted for, or a predeterminedL number only cut out of a total number of candidates together with a predetermined number only of issues out of a total number of issues can be voted for at one and the same time, and casting an aggregate of votes for any single candidate is prevented. The totals of each candidate are indicated, as well as the rand total of all the candidates.

By my machine it is impossible for a voter to vote informally, a voter cannot duplicate his vote or vote more than once upon any suitable issue, the secrecy of the ballot is preserved, it is impossible so to tamper with the machine during its operation as to falsify the counting, the individual totals are checked by the total votes indicated, the voting is so simple and speedy that votes cannot be lost even by an inexperienced voter, the results can be read and made known immediately after the closing of the poll, and all the usual errors of counting and checking, so common in polling booths, together with the necessity for recounts are done away with.

The drawing herewith illustrates the invention and will now be referred to for the purposes of a detailed description Figure 1, is a sectional elevation.

Fig. 2, a plan partly in section, and

Fig. 3, a longitudinal elevation of the apparatus with the front removed.

Fig. 4, is a sectional elevation.

Fig. 5,a plan, and

Fig. 6, a cross section of locking plates.

Fig. 7, is a diagrammatic plan of the apparatus.

Fig. 8, is an elevation, and

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented S13E13. 18, 1917.

Application filed s1, ierz.

Serial l lo. 171,868.

Figs. 9 and 10, are plans of locking apparatus for the turnstiles.

The casing 1 incloses a plurality of main levers 2 normally held in a raised position by springs 3 attached at one end to tail pieces 4 of the main levers :2 and at the other end to partitions 5 of the casin The levers 2 are operable by knobs 6 normally held in a raised position by springs 7, the number of the knobs 6 is the same number or greater than the number of candidates or issues to be voted for. The knobs 6 have stems 8 adapted to contact with the main levers 2 or with brackets 9 fixed to the said levers. The stems 8 are not connected to the levers 2 and between the said stem and the said levers a series of plates 10 are arranged to slide endwise in guides 11. The plates 10 form sections extending between the stems S and the ends of the sections have countersunk or chamfered holes 12, one half part of the said hole being formed in two adjacent ends of the plates. The plates 10 have sufficient play endwise in their slot 11 to allow one stem 8 only at a time to pass, so that if one stem is depressed to operate a main lever 2, the remaining plates are locked together endwise so that no other knob or stem in the machine can be depressed until the pressed knob is released.

The holes 12 are chamfered to admit the chamfered ends of the stem 8, but the stems 8 themselves can pass between the ends of the plate only when the said plates are separated endwise.

Each lever 2 is provided with a counter 13 of ordinary construction an arm 1% being connected by a rod 15 to the said lever. At each depression of the lever the counter indicate; the total number of votes cast by the lever. A pawl 1'? pivoted by a pin 18 to the lever 2 is ada Jted to engage the teeth 19 of a ratchet wheel 20 so that when the lever is operated the ratchet wheel 20 is operated through the distance of a single tooth 19- Each of the ratchet wheels 20 is fixed to a main shaft 21 provided with a counter 22 of any ordinary construction for indicating the grand total of the operations of the main lever counters 13, each depression of the knobs 6 turns the ratchet wheel 20 and the shaft 21 forward for the distance of one tooth and no more.

A plurality of ratchet wheels 20 are mounted upon the shaft 21, the number corresponding to the number of knobs 6 and main levers 2.

The end of each main lever 2 has a bev eled face :21 and is adapted to engage the catch 25 of a detent lever 26, one arm 27 of which rides upon a snail cam 28 provided with a single tooth 29, the said cam 28 being fixed upon the shaft 21.

A disk 30 fixed to the shaft 21 has a groove 31 to receive a cord held in tension by a spring 3 1 so that when free to do so, the shaft 21 is rotated backwardly. The disk has a fixed peg 37 adapted to contact with a stop 38 which arrests as required the backward movement of the disk 30 and the shaft 21. The disk has holes adapted to hold a removable peg 37.

An out-going turnstile +10 (see Figs. 3 and 7) has beveled toothed wheel 11 gearing in the ratio of four to one with a beveled tooth wheel 12 fixed upon a longitudinal shaft 43, which is thereby rotated a complete revolution to each quarter turn of the said turnstile. At each revolution of the shaft 43 a cam 4i fixed thereon depresses a tail piece 415 of the detent lever 26, thereby "withdrawing the catch 25 and liberating the main lever 2. A single turnstile or a door will operate the machine equally as well as two turnstiles.

An eccentric 417 fixed on the shaft t3 has a rod 48 slidable on a guide i9 and throws the pawl 17 out of engagement with the teeth 19. A spring 50 in tension connects the pawl 17 to the detent lever 26, and normally keeps the said. pawl in engagement with the said teeth, and keeps the arm of the detent lever 26 riding upon the periphery of the snail cani An eccentric 4-7 may be provided for each pawl 17, or one or more eccentrics may operate a longitudinal bar 51, extending throughout the length of the machine, and whereby all the pawls 17 of the main levers 2 may be operated.

hen the pawl 17 is disengaged from the teeth 19 by the eccentric or eccentrics 17 the shaft 21 is set free and is rotated backwardly under the-operation of the spring 31 and the cord 33 wound around the groove 31 of the disk 30, and the machine is then ready vto be re-operated by another voter.

An admittance turnstile to the machine locks il'nmediately a voter has entered the inclosure 55 for the purpose of recording his vote, and the said turnstile 51 is unlocked by the voter when he passes out of the in closure 55 by operating the turnstile 4:0. For this purpose the spindle 56-of the turnstile 5 1 has a disk 57 with four notches 58 spaced equally apart around the periphery of the said disk. A catch 59, slidable in a guide 60 and adapted to engage the notches 58, forms the termination of a rod 61 connected by a pin 62 to a lever 63 fulcrumed upon a pin 64. The spindle 66of the turnstile 40 has a disk 67 provided with teeth or cams 68, which push the lever 63 against the resistance of a spring 70 into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 8, in which position the lever 63 is detained by a detent 71 having a stem 73 slidable in guides 74. The detent is normally held in a raised position by a spring 75. hen the lever 63 is in the position shown by dotted lines the catch 59 is withdrawn from the notches 58 and turnstile 54: is free to be operated by an iii-going voter, who by operating the turnstile 54 turns the disk 57, which has four teeth or cams 7.7 below the notches 58. The teeth 77 operate a lever 78 fulcruined upon apin 79 and connected by a rod 80 to one arm of a bell crank lever 81, the other arm 82 of which passes into the slotted end 83 of the stem 73 which is thereby free to move downward under the action of the lever 63 independently of the bell crank lever. The movementof the lever 78 and rod 80 operate the bell crank lever in the direction shown by the arrow, thereby releasing the lever 63, which is returned by the spring 70 vto its normal position. the catch 59 is forced into a notch 58, and the turnstile 5% locked until the voter passes out by way of the turnstile 40.

The mechanism shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 is below the surface of the ground where it is not an obstruction to voters using the machine.

Vith the mechanism arranged as shown in F ig. 11, a single vote only at a time can be recorded by the lever The peg 37* is placed in the hole 35 so that the disk 30 can move through the distance of one tooth 19 only. The arm 27 will then fall over the tooth 29 and the lever 96 will take the position shown by dotted lines that is below the horizontal face 91 of the lever 2, which is thereby prevented from being depressed until the canrl-tl; on the shaft 43 has been-operated by an outgoing voter operating the turnstile 40. If more than one vote is allowable the peg 37 is placed farther back in say a hole 35, when three votes could be recorded, and so on.

The pawls 17 operate for each other as retaining pawls to prevent the ratchet wheels 20 from being turned backward by the spring 3-1 when any one of the said .pawls is returning to its normal position.

The turnstiles 40 and 5e are provided with ratchet wheels 93 and 9.1 respectively for preventing the saidturnstiles from being turned backward.

lVhen it is desired to castvotes for issues as well as candidates a sleeve 95 is mounted freely upon the shaft 21, the said Sleeve being provided with ratchet wheel 96, snail cams 97, a grooved disk 98, a fixed peg 99 a movable peg 99 and stop 100 similar to corresponding parts previously described.

The votes on the issues are thereby indicated by main levers 2 without interfering with the recording of votes for candidates.

What I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a voting machine, a plurality of stems, a corresponding plurality of levers operable by the stems, counters operable by the levers, a pawl pivoted to each lever, a shaft and a plurality of ratchet wheels fixed to the shaft and operated by the pawls, a counter operable by the shaft, a series of sliding plates between the stems and levers, the said plates having chamfered recesses at their ends being limited in their movement endwise sufficiently to prevent more than one stem from being depressed simultaneously, substantially as set forth.

2.111 a voting machine, a plurality of stems, a corresponding plurality of main levers operable by the stems, detent levers adapted to retain the main levers, a pawl pivoted to each lever, a shaft and a plurality of ratchet wheels fixed thereon and operable by the pawls, and single toothed snail cams upon which tails of the detent levers ride, substantially as set forth.

3. In a voting machine, a plurality of stems, a corresponding plurality of main levers operable by the stems, detent levers adapted to retain the main levers, a pawl pivoted to each lever, a shaft and a plurality of ratchet wheels fixed thereon and operable by the pawls, single toothed snail cams upon which tails of the detent levers ride, a disk fixed to the said shaft said disk having a fixed peg and a number of holes corresponding to the number of teeth in the ratchet wheels, a peg adapted to be placed in the holes, and a stop against which the pegs contact for limiting the movement of the disk, substantially as set forth.

l. In a voting machine, a plurality of stems, a corresponding plurality of main levers operable by the stems, detent levers adapted to retain the main levers, a pawl pivoted to each lever, a shaft and a plurality of ratchet wheels fixed thereon and operable by the pawls, single toothed snail cams, and springs which keep tails of the detent levers riding upon the cams and the pawls in engagement with the ratchet wheels, substantially set forth.

5. In a voting machine, a plurality of stems, a corresponding plurality of main levers operable by the stems, detent levers adapted to retain the main levers, a pawl pivoted to each lever, a shaft and a plurality of ratchet wheels fixed thereon and operable by the pawls, single toothed snail cams, springs adapted to keep the tails of the de tent levers riding upon the cams and the pawls in engagement with the ratchet wheels, and cams for removing the tails of the detent levers from the snail cams and the pawls from engagement with the ratchet wheels, substantially as set forth.

6. In a voting machlne, a sleeve mounted freely on a shaft, ratchet wheels and snail cams fixed to the shaft, a grooved disk fixed to the shaft and having a fixed peg and a number of holes corresponding to the number of teeth in the ratchet wheels, a peg adapted to be placed in any one of the said holes, a stop against which the pegs are adapted to contact, main levers having pawls adapted to engage the ratchet wheels, detent levers adapted to engage the main levers and having arms riding on the snail cams, and counters operated by the main levers, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

D. A. MoCoNNELL, D. RUrsoN.

Copiesot this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G, 

